ESW pleads for equality in school academy admissions

Equality South West has said it is "unacceptable" for academies to pick and choose pupils.

A report, released today by the Academies Commission, reveals evidence that some academies secretly attempt to select and exclude pupils.

ESW's Colette Bennett said: "If academies are picking and choosing their students , then the potential for discrimination is huge. Even if it is unintentional, things such as unconscious bias may lead to children being excluded on the basis of their or their parents' skin colour, their religion or the fact that they are disabled or gay.

"This is a totally unacceptable situation and the government needs to act now to ensure fair and equal access to education for all our children, not just for the privileged few.

"Equality South West would wholeheartedly support the report's recommendation for equality data on admissions being published and analysed by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) so that any potentially illegal discrimination in the admissions process or its application can be identified and independently challenged."